More Allegations of Witchcraft Against Juana de la Cruz, 1628

Bartolomé Romero was a twenty-six-year-old alcalde ordinario of Santa Fe when he testified before Friar Alonso de Benavides in September 1628—more than two years after the initial arrival of the Inquisition in New Mexico. He denounced Juana de la Cruz for witchcraft, providing more detail about incidents that Benavides had alluded to when collecting statements in 1626. He claimed that because of “something that had happened between the two of them,” Juana de la Cruz had vowed to take revenge on him. This combined with the other incidents in which she was allegedly involved convinced him that she was practicing witchcraft.

His testimony also contains an interesting genealogical hint. He stated that his wife (who we know from other sources was María del Moral, daughter of Francisco Pérez Granillo) had given birth six months before, in March 1628. She was recovering from childbirth at the pueblo of Senecú under the care of friar Jeronimo de Pedraza, and Bartolomé said that her mother and grandmother were both with her there. This suggests that María was half indigenous (and her mother and grandmother were likely indigenous), as there were very few (if any) Spanish families who had three generations of adult women living in the colony at the time. Perhaps María's family was from Senecú Pueblo, which is why she had gone there after childbirth.

The last story Bartolomé recounted, which he had heard from Catalina Bernal, was about Juana de la Cruz going out in the middle of the night sometime during 1625. What made the episode so extraordinary was that she apparently was able to travel from Santa Fe to San Juan Pueblo and back again in a matter of hours. The distance was over 20 miles, so would have been impossible even on horseback, suggesting sorcery was involved.

The statement of Pedro Márquez a few days later corroborates much of the same information given by Bartolomé and adds a few more details, including a failed attempt at putting a hex on his Indian servant Catalina.

France V. Scholes in “The First Decade of the Inquisition in New Mexico,” published in the New Mexico Historical Review vol. 10, No. 3, provides an overview of the incidents involving Juana de la Cruz and her mother Beatriz de los Ángeles. However, he includes only partial transcriptions, in Spanish, of Bartolomé’s and Pedro’s statement in an Appendix to the article. Below, I have translated their statements in full.

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Statement of Bartolomé Romero to Alonso de Benavides

26 September 1628

In the pueblo of Santa Clara, on the 26th day of September of the year 1628, before me, Friar Alonso de Benavides, Commissary of the Holy Office, filling the place of secretary because the secretary is absent at this time, there appeared Captain Bartolomé Romero, alcalde ordinario of the town of Santa Fe in New Mexico, twenty-six years of age, from whom I received sworn testimony in due form. Under oath he promised to tell the truth, and stated the following:

About six months ago, his wife gave birth, and since the delivery she has remained in poor health. According to those who understand such matters, it is the result of a bite of food she was given. This witness suspects that it was done by the hand and order of Juana de la Cruz, wife of Juan Griego, a resident of the town of Santa Fe, because she had vowed to avenge herself on Captain Bartolomé Romero over certain matters that had passed between them. He is persuaded that it is her doing, both because she threatened vengeance and because of the public talk that she and her mother are witches who have bewitched certain people.

One such case, he says, was Diego Bellido, a young, unmarried man, son of Captain Juan Rodríguez Bellido. The declarant knows this because Diego Bellido himself told him so, before dying of the same bewitchment and bite of food. Just before he died, Diego told the declarant to go tell Doña Beatriz, mother of Juana de la Cruz, that she should cure him since she was the one who had bewitched him. The declarant delivered the message, but she denied it.

He further stated that on another occasion, when he passed by Doña Beatriz’s ranch in the company of Diego Bellido, who at that time was healthy, they found there an Indian servant of Doña Beatriz who was gravely ill. When Diego remarked that it was a pity to see the man in such a state without being cared for, the Indian replied, “And why don’t you get yourself treated as well?” Diego answered that he was well and had nothing to be cured of. But the Indian responded that the same person who had put him in that condition had also placed Diego in the same state—that he was bewitched. Hearing this, the witness, Diego Bellido, Captain Antonio Baca, and Alonso Varela (the younger) all tried to compel the Indian to name the person who had bewitched him, but he refused, saying, “Since the curse has no remedy, why should I say anything?” And then he died within fifteen days.

Shortly thereafter, Diego Bellido himself began to fall ill, and died from it. This same Diego Bellido told the witness that once, after he had beaten Doña Beatriz out of jealousy, he had wanted to leave her ranch to go to the town and asked for lunch. Doña Beatriz gave him a bowl of milk and after eating it, he departed. But upon reaching San Felipe, three leagues away, he was seized with such terrible stomach pains that he was forced to return to the ranch. He told Doña Beatriz what he was suffering, whereupon she immediately gave him a bowl of oil to drink and when he did, it caused him to vomit up the milk together with worms.

About a month ago, as the witness was passing the same ranch (now held by Juan Maese, who is in charge of it, while Doña Beatriz now lives in the town of Santa Fe), Juan Maese told him in the town that, in light of the public claim that Doña Beatriz is a witch, he had found hanging from a tree on that ranch a clay figurine with a striking resemblance to the deceased Diego Bellido, and that he knew she had bewitched him because Andrés de Villaviciosa, a resident of the town, had told him so. Andrés had learned this from Felipa, a ladina (acculturated) Indian woman, who said she herself had been bewitched by Doña Beatriz and had seen her smoking a clay figure of Diego Bellido with incense. Felipa later died of the same bewitchment. She had been the wife of Diego de Santiago, a resident of this town. All these things are also known by the wife of Andrés de Villaviciosa, Francisco Márquez, Juan Durán, and his wife.

He also says his wife is currently in the Pueblo of Senecú, where Father Friar Jerónimo de Pedraza is treating her. And that when he went to see her about fifteen days ago, he learned that while his wife was sleeping in the company of her mother and grandmother, she suddenly began to scream. When her mother and grandmother ran to her with a lit candle, they found her on the floor, thrown out of the bed. She said she didn’t know who had grabbed her, lifted her into the air, and dropped her onto the floor beside the bed. Her mother and grandmother, who had been sleeping in the same room, had not seen anyone. And this declarant suspects, because of past events, that this may be some witchcraft carried out by Doña Beatriz and her daughter, Juana de la Cruz, who had promised to take revenge on him.

He further states that about four or five days ago, when he was passing by the ranch of Captain Alonso Varela in La Ciénega, he spoke with Doña Catalina, his wife. While discussing Bartolomé’s wife’s illness and the suspicion that it was witchcraft from Doña Beatriz, Doña Catalina told him that when Pancho Balón, a Mexican Indian and blacksmith, wished to marry Inés, a ladina servant of Doña Catalina, Doña Beatriz had sent word to Inés that she should not marry Pancho Balón, because if she did, she would never be able to enjoy their marriage. The marriage ultimately took place, and as soon as they were wed, Pancho Balón fell ill and did not live out the year. And Inés herself is now half-crippled. And thus, she believes that Doña Beatriz bewitched her and killed her husband, just as she had warned she would.

He further states that about twenty days ago, Alférez Pedro Márquez, a resident of this town, told him that he was certain that Juana de la Cruz, daughter of Doña Beatriz, who is a Mexican Indian ladina, had given a bite of food to his own brother, Hernando Zambrano, which killed him. She had done this because, Hernando Zambrano, over a matter of jealousy, had beaten Juana de la Cruz one morning; and that afternoon, after they had reconciled, Juana gave him a bowl of milk with cream for a snack. She then returned to her ranch and scarcely had he mounted his horse when he began to writhe from stomach pains. When he reached his ranch, which was very nearby, he arrived in such a state that his brother Pedro Márquez had to help him down from his horse. From there he went straight to the town and did not live twenty days. And it also became public knowledge that the above-named woman had killed him by witchcraft.

And he adds that all of these things have also been told to him by Nicolás, son of Juan Durán, since they all live in the same house. And that this is the truth, by the oath he has sworn, and that he says it not out of hatred but to relieve his conscience. And he signed it with me.

Friar Alonso de Benavides {rubric}               Bartolomé Romero {rubric}

Commissary

After this declarant had signed, he added that about twenty days ago, Catalina Bernal, wife of Juan Durán (both residents of this town [of Santa Fe]) told him that about three years earlier, she and her sister Juana, a young, unmarried woman, were in a room one night together with their sister-in-law, the above-mentioned Juana de la Cruz. At nightfall, when they were about to go to bed, Juana de la Cruz stepped outside the room, and she did not return until well past midnight, chilled with cold. When the two sisters asked her where she had been, she told them that she had gone to the Pueblo of San Juan (which is seven leagues from the town) to see a certain man with whom she was involved, because she suspected he was with another woman. She said that she found him asleep alone, so she left him, and returned.

Catalina Bernal also told this declarant that once, after her husband Juan Durán had beaten her, Juana de la Cruz, seeing her distressed and crying, asked her whether she wanted something she could give to her husband that would tame him to such a degree that even if he saw her with another man, he would not scold her. To this, she said, she replied that Juana should go with God, for she wanted nothing of the sort.

Friar Alonso de Benavides {rubric}               Bartolomé Romero {rubric}

Commissary

Statement of Pedro Márquez to Alonso de Benavides

2 October 1628

In the Pueblo of San Ildefonso in New Mexico, on the second day of the month of October 1628, before me, Friar Alonso de Benavides, Commissary of the Holy Office, serving also as secretary due to the secretary’s absence, appeared Alférez Pedro Márquez, resident of the town of Santa Fe, thirty-six years of age. He swore in due form to tell the truth and said that, to relieve his conscience, he states and declares that it is public knowledge and widely spoken that Doña Beatriz, a Mexican ladina Indian woman who carries herself as a Spaniard, is a sorceress, as well as her daughter, Juana de la Cruz, married to Juan Griego, residents of New Mexico. This declarant considers them such because, about two years ago, his brother Hernando Márquez Zambrano, while staying at the ranch in the cañada, went to visit the said Juana de la Cruz, wife of Juan Griego, who lived at another nearby ranch. Over a matter of jealousy, he beat her, and afterward she bewitched him using a bowl of milk, because after eating a mouthful he suddenly fell so ill that this declarant had to help him off his horse. Hernando Zambrano told this declarant everything, and he died of it within twenty-three days.

Likewise, he holds Doña Beatriz, Juana de la Cruz's mother, to be a sorceress, both because of the widespread public knowledge and because Diego Bellido (God rest his soul in Heaven) told this declarant that Doña Beatriz had bewitched him with another bowl of milk, and that she herself had later reversed it, making him expel worms from above and below, only to bewitch him again, from which he died. And that a ladina Indian woman named Felipa told this declarant, while she was still alive, that Doña Beatriz had bewitched Diego Bellido by means of a clay figurine closely resembling him, with thorns stuck into all the joints so that he would suffer more. Diego Bellido had also told this declarant that this same Felipa and another Indian had likewise died bewitched by Doña Beatriz, and all of this is public knowledge.

The late Felipa also told this declarant that they intended to bewitch another Indian woman named Catalina, who is in this declarant’s service, and that Felipa had taken and hidden the figurine that Doña Beatriz was making, still half-finished, and that for that reason the bewitchment was not completed.

And this is the truth under the oath he has taken, and he does not say it out of passion but to relieve his conscience and because it is public knowledge. He declared that this statement was made in the Pueblo of Santa Clara.

Friar Alonso de Benavides {rubric}               Pedro Marques {rubric}

Commissary

It doesn't appear as though Pedro actually signed the document, as the signature is in the same handwriting as Alonso de Benavides.

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Source:

Archivo General de la Nación 

Inquisición, Volumen 304, Expediente 27, fol. 186r-188r, (Images 413-417 of 636)

Available at: https://repositorio.agn.gob.mx/